Ready or Not

by Melissa Brayden

  With door in hand, Mallory turned back to her. “But I would love it if you came over later tonight. We can spend some one-on-one time together. Not a business meeting in sight.” Mallory offered a smile and Hope did a mental backflip.

  “Is eleven too late?”

  “It’s not. See you then, Hot Bartender.”

  *

  Mallory held Hope tight as she brought her down from orgasm gently with her mouth. She moved up her body, kissing first her breast, then her collarbone and her throat. Finally she found Hope’s lips and kissed her long and hard, leaving her mouth swollen and perfect. Moments before, Hope had burst into wild shudders in her arms, and it had easily been one of her favorite visuals.

  “Remember that control thing you have?” Hope asked, recapturing her breath. Mallory nodded, and smiled as she looked down at Hope. “I think you like to practice it in the bedroom.”

  “A definite possibility.”

  It had felt good to take exactly what she wanted and steadied her somehow to take the reins after such an off-kilter week. They were still new to each other, but she was learning Hope’s body. What she liked. Where she was most sensitive. God, did she love each new discovery.

  “Do you always wear matching underwear sets? Because I’m all in favor,” Hope said, referencing Mallory’s attire. While Hope was completely naked—Mallory had taken care of that—she still wore her burgundy and black combo, one of her favorite sets.

  “I guess I do.”

  Hope shook her head slowly. “How am I going to survive you?”

  She traced the outside of Hope’s breast. “I trust you’ll find a way.”

  “I’m going to have to try.” With that, Hope sent her hands down Mallory’s back, down to her ass, where she cupped it and pulled Mallory tight against her. Mallory gasped and closed her eyes at the onslaught of sensation the proximity evoked. She was beyond ready and had been for some time already. Before she knew what hit her, Hope had her on her back, eyes flashing.

  “Kinda proud of yourself right now, aren’t you?” Mallory asked and nipped gently up at Hope’s lips.

  “Kinda am.” Hope pulled the cups of her bra down, releasing her breasts in one motion. As she circled a nipple aggressively with her tongue, Mallory moaned quietly, too good not to. And then her bra was gone completely, and then her panties, which was good. At this point, she didn’t need a pre-show. She rocked her hips against Hope’s thigh as the throbbing between her legs became nearly unbearable. She’d been turned on since she first touched Hope, and now her desire rested somewhere beyond calculation.

  Hope crawled down her body as Mallory sucked in much-needed air. The touch of Hope’s tongue against her center was almost Mallory’s undoing. Hope blew a breath over Mallory that shot her heart rate into the stratosphere. She moaned quietly, because Hope’s tongue was back, and God, did it do things to her. Hope tasted, teased, and tormented Mallory until she’d balled the sheet in her fists and writhed in hot desperation beneath Hope’s mouth.

  Her muscles quivered as the pressure continued to build. Hope entered her then, swift and sure, and the result had Mallory lurching from the bed as fireworks exploded behind her eyes in glorious release. Hope had an arm wrapped around Mallory’s waist to hold her in place, all the while pumping harder, taking Mallory to heights she could scarcely fathom. She called out as one spasm shot into another and then another. She gave herself over to Hope fully, wondering if she knew what Mallory was feeling, which was entirely too much. In bed, they fit together perfectly, Mallory realized, still moving against Hope’s hand. They had been explosive together once again.

  “That was probably the sexiest experience of my life,” Hope told her as she settled next to Mallory in bed. “You do things to me that I still haven’t quite figured out.”

  “We’re pretty awesome in bed together.”

  “Yes, but I was talking about all of it.” It was an honest admission, and there was nothing guarded or shielded in the way Hope looked at her now. This was the two of them, connecting openly and honestly. “Every time the door to the bar opens, do you know I glance up to see if it might be you?”

  “You do? I didn’t know that.”

  Hope nodded and then covered her eyes. “And I can’t believe I just admitted that. You probably think I’m super lame now.”

  “The lamest,” Mallory said, grinning back at her. “Except you’re not. I like that you do that. My turn.”

  Hope smiled at the game and propped her head up on her hand, listening.

  “I wonder what you’re doing a lot, so I’ve figured out your schedule a bit, when you head to work and when you generally leave. That kinda makes me your own personal stalker, huh?”

  “I’ve never had one of those before.”

  Mallory laughed. “Please. You have like eighteen at Showplace.”

  “They don’t count.”

  “They don’t,” Mallory said, moving in for a long and languid kiss, finishing with, “And they certainly don’t get to do that.”

  Hope blinked. “I’m sorry. What did you say? My mind quit working there for a second as this hot, naked girl was making out with me.”

  “Your life is so hard,” Mallory told her. A pause. “How’s your sister?”

  At the question, uncertainty flashed on Hope’s face, quickly replaced with resolve.

  She was trying and the effort warmed Mallory.

  “They’ve arrived in Iowa. Kara says she can’t decide if it’s like something out of a Lifetime movie or the Twilight Zone. Lots of farmland, small little stores, quaint little houses, and extra-friendly people.”

  “It sounds kind of awesome. The Midwest has a charming culture. But she’s doing okay?”

  “She sounds the happiest I’ve ever heard her. This was the right thing for her. She’s a recovering addict, Mal, so she needed a change.”

  Mallory nodded. It made a lot of sense, given what she’d seen of Kara.

  “And Dominic, who is he exactly?”

  Hope sighed. She clearly didn’t want to go down this path, but Mallory felt it was important to push a little.

  “Don’t do that. Please don’t pull away.”

  Hope met her eyes. “He’s a lowlife Kara borrowed money from. Unfortunately, he’s a powerful lowlife who didn’t take too kindly to her wanting to sever ties, even after she paid the debt. That’s why she needed to go. He was never going to let up.”

  “I don’t even know what to say. Did you report him to the police?”

  Hope smiled as if she’d said something cute. “It doesn’t really work that way with these kind of people.”

  “That can’t be true.”

  “Trust me,” Hope said. “You take Dominic down and a lackey’s waiting to step up and seek revenge in his name.”

  “That sounds horrible.”

  “It has been. But she’s out of the way now, and despite the fact that I’ll miss her, this is her shot at a stable future. A real life. I’ll visit her ten times a year if that’s what it takes to keep her happy and grounded.”

  “You’re a good sister.”

  Those words seemed to resonate with Hope, and Mallory wondered if anyone had ever said them to Hope before. The thought made her heart reach out. She wanted Hope to know all of the amazing things about herself. She wanted to tell her and show her in every way she could.

  And she would…

  *

  Sunlight streamed in from the floor-to-ceiling windows of Mallory’s bedroom, and Hope blinked back against the light. Her limbs felt heavy, her body relaxed and boneless in the most wonderful way. She turned and found Mallory asleep next to her on her stomach, the sheet pulled back revealing the smooth expanse of her back. She smiled and ran her hand down its length and finished with a soft kiss to her shoulder.

  Nothing.

  Mallory, she had found, was a very deep sleeper, in addition to being a bed hog. She took note of the fact that Mallory slept square in the center of the bed and would whether Hope was t
here or not. It was kind of endearing. She decided to let Mallory sleep and would go about making some coffee for them and possibly seeking out breakfast.

  “Bagels are here!” a voice called from the living room. And that’s when a stocky dog with short little legs pushed open the door to the bedroom and regarded her with adorable brown eyes.

  Whoa. An interesting development, indeed.

  “Hello, strange dog,” Hope said quietly. The new arrival licked her hand and took a seat as if he knew the place well.

  Curious, Hope slipped into her jeans and pulled on a T-shirt of Mallory’s. “Mal,” she whispered. “Hey, sleepyhead, I think you have a guest. Make that two.” The dog wagged his tail.

  Mallory’s only response was to curl onto her side and pull the sheet tighter around her waist. Adorable. Well, okay. Looked like she was on her own. After running her fingers through her hair to tame it, she peeked around the corner, relaxing at the sight of Hunter rummaging through Mallory’s fridge.

  “Mallory’s asleep,” she said by way of greeting.

  Hunter straightened and turned. She paused a moment before breaking into a lazy smile. “Well, look who’s here.”

  Hope shrugged one shoulder and slid onto a bar stool at the island. “It was a long walk back to my place.”

  “Oh, of course it was,” Hunter said, overly sympathetic. “You had no other option than to see if Mal would take you in.”

  “Actually, she invited me over herself.”

  Hunter studied her. “So are you guys turning into a real thing and not just a fun thing?”

  To Hope, it wasn’t even a question. “While I’m having a great time, I’m not in this for fun.”

  “Okay.” Hunter looked as if she was gathering her thoughts. “I like you guys together. I do.”

  And here it came. “But?”

  “Tell me what you like about her.”

  “Seriously?” Hope asked with a smile. “Are you planning to write down my answers?” But Hunter wasn’t smiling, and Hope knew it was important for Hunter to know that her feelings were honorable. Thereby, she sobered quite a bit and spoke from her heart. “She’s quirky without realizing she’s quirky. That whole organize-the-world thing is not only admirable but enjoyable because she can’t not do it.”

  “That’s true. She can’t stop herself,” Hunter said. “Good call. What else?”

  “Well, beyond the fact that I’m ridiculously attracted to her, I love how spoiled she is while at the same time generous beyond all measure. Then the myriad of smiles. She has her ‘on’ smile, which she reserves for business or polite conversation, and then there’s her dreamy smile when she’s in her own head and thinks no one’s watching her.”

  Hunter smiled. “That’s a good one. I like that smile.”

  “But my favorite is the one she reserves for genuine happiness. It’s my goal to see that smile as much as possible. Should I go on? Because I can. I like her relationship with you guys, her accomplishments, her drive, her humor.”

  Hunter held up a hand. “I think I got it.”

  “Good, because those things are important to me,” Hope said.

  Hunter inclined her head to the side. “I believe you. But I need to say this anyway. You can’t hurt her. Do you understand? Because she may seem tough and together and like she can handle anything, but underneath all of that is a girl who’s a lot more vulnerable than she seems.”

  Hope nodded. Mallory was one of Hunter’s best friends, and she was looking out for her. “Do you honestly think I’d be reckless when it comes to Mallory?”

  “No, I don’t. But I need you to understand that I will hunt you down if you are.”

  Hope smiled. “Got it. You have my word.” She peered around Hunter. “Should I make up something to threaten you about, or did I hear you say bagels earlier?”

  Hunter grinned at Hope and reached for the white bag on the counter just as the door to the loft slid open.

  “Doughnuts are here,” Sam called. “Fantastic doughnuts have at long last arrived for humans to consume! Oh, hello, there,” Samantha said, freezing and regarding Hope. She then exchanged a knowing smile with Hunter.

  “Hi,” Hope said back. “You guys deliver bagels and doughnuts? That’s kind of great service.”

  Sam nodded. “Hunter’s barbaric and prefers bagels. I’m sensible and thereby understand that doughnuts make the world go round.”

  Hunter held up a finger. “I love doughnuts too. Always have.”

  “But you think bagels are better, which is insane.”

  “I do champion the bagel in a full-on baked-goods war.”

  Sam held a hand out in the air in punctuation. “Do you see?” she asked Hope.

  “I do.”

  “Outrageous.”

  Hope enjoyed the playful banter that highlighted the differences between Samantha and Hunter. While Hunter was very go-with-the-flow, Samantha seemed to be a lot more structured in her approach to life. Hope could tell that much simply from the way they ordered their drinks. It intrigued her, the way people paired up. What drew one human to another—which naturally had her thinking about herself and Mallory, who would surely be waking up any minute, right? Was it odd that she already missed her? Should she alert her that her friends had arrived?

  “Sorry about busting in on you,” Hunter said. “We didn’t know Mal had company.”

  “Is this a regular Saturday-morning occurrence?” she asked in amusement.

  Sam tilted her head from side to side in consideration. “Pretty much. Sometimes Mal busts in on us. But I’d say we generally do more of the busting.”

  “Wedding plans are exhausting,” a voice said from the doorway. Hope looked up to find Brooklyn entering with a bottle of champagne. “Mal has orange juice, yeah?”

  “In the fridge,” Hunter supplied. “She has pulp and no-pulp.”

  “Mal likes to cover the bases,” Brooklyn said, then paused mid-step, her girlfriend nearly colliding into her. “Hope! What an amazing surprise to find you here! In the morning, no less.”

  Hope didn’t know where to go with that, so she smiled sheepishly instead. “Good to see you, Brooklyn.”

  “Mimosas all around?” Jessica asked. She scanned the room. “Where’s Mallory?”

  “Late to the party, apparently,” Mallory said, taking in the room from the bedroom door with the dog at her feet. She wore a white T-shirt and gray sweatpants. Hope couldn’t help admire how they clung low to her waist. “You sleep a few extra minutes and the cavalry rides in.”

  “Hiya, Mal,” Sam said, presenting a newly assembled plate of doughnuts. “Hungry?”

  “We also have bagels,” Hunter said, winking.

  “Not the bagels-versus-doughnuts showdown,” Mallory said and stole a glazed doughnut with chocolate frosting. Sam shot up a hand in victory, and in adorable response, Hunter stole a kiss.

  “Fine,” Hunter said, holding Sam’s face in one hand. “Doughnuts one, bagels zero.”

  As the group chattered animatedly, Mallory made her way to Hope and handed her a tear-off of the doughnut. “Good morning,” she said quietly.

  “Good morning back,” Hope said, her volume just as low. Their eyes met and held in one of those private exchanges where a lot passed between them without a single word spoken. She loved having that kind of connection, the kind you didn’t even have to work hard for. It was just there. Mallory then tucked a strand of hair behind Hope’s ear. “You okay with all of this? The Saturday-morning barrage? I probably should have warned you this could happen.”

  “Shocking at first, but now I think it’s fun,” she told Mallory. “No one shows up unannounced at my place with dogs and breakfast, and I keep waiting for them to.”

  Mallory laughed. “Thank you for seeing the silver lining. Also, I love you in my shirt, so I might need to make out with you later.”

  Hope looked skyward. “I mean, I might be free for that. Busy schedule, ya know.”

  Mallory gasped and passed her
a smile, the very smile Hope had just told Hunter about, the one that melted her heart from the inside out. As Mallory’s friends prepared plates and drinks, Jessica and Brooklyn regaled the group with war stories from the wedding-planning trenches. They heard about photographer interviews, wedding-cake tastings, videographer meetings, and colors for flowers. If you pushed aside how exhausting the whole thing seemed, underneath it all was a thick layer of romance that had Hope smiling.

  She’d been to exactly two weddings in her life but found the whole concept kind of awesome. Two people swearing in front of the world that they want only each other forever? That took some kind of confidence. Looking at Brooklyn and Jessica now, it was clear that they knew what they had and didn’t intend to let it go. She wondered if she’d ever make such a public commitment. She glanced at Mallory, and her heart squeezed in that warm, wonderful way. There had to be something to that squeeze, right? It wasn’t a squeeze for nothing. Maybe one day…

  “I just don’t know what I’m going to do if it rains,” Brooklyn said. “I have all of these images in my head of a drowned-rat version of myself pouting in all of the photos, and no one likes a pouty bride. I don’t.”

  Jessica took her hand and kissed the back of it. “If it rains,” she said calmly, “you and I will have the best possible time in that rain. It will be the most fun any two people have ever had at a rainy wedding, and we will tell the story of that rainy, romantic wedding to our kids one day and they will love it.”

  Samantha pointed at Jessica. “Now that was a good answer.”

  Brooklyn seemed to think so too, as she was staring at Jessica with a dreamy, faraway look in her eye. “I’m suddenly not so worried about rain anymore,” Brooklyn said. “How do you do that? And I also have a ton of work to do, so we better head home. Now.”

  Samantha leaned in to Hope. “That’s code for sex.”

  “Got it,” Hope said, laughing and taking mental notes. They were a fast-paced group with their own shorthand, but a lot of fun at the same time.

  “We should get going too,” Hunter said. “Get out of these guys’ hair.”